The Song of an Innocent Bystander

by Ian Bone

One bitterly cold afternoon, a handful of customers lingered inside the Family Value hamburger restaurant on Grange Street, their meals finished, their welcome scattered in scraps on the discarded food trays.

At precisely 2:45 P.M., a man stood on one of the small tables near the service counter. He had a black sports bag clutched to his chest. Nobody noticed him until he spoke in his unremarkable voice, until his words echoed across the near-empty expanse of fake wood below him.

"It's time to pay your dues, Family Value," he said.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Childrens, Teen, Realistic Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

I am an author of books for young readers and young adults. I am Australian, and my books are published in Australia, the USA, the UK, Germany, Korea, Brazil and Finland.

My novel, The Song of an Innocent Bystander is being adapted into a major feature film. My children's book series, Philomena Wonderpen, has been bought by an International media company to be adapted for television.

I teach writing and I work as a video producer and e-learning developer in my spare time!

Reviews

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally gave this a 3 I think but damn I actually love this book. I read it in Grade 11 English at school and I loved it so much. We studied emotions that term and our chosen emotion was 'Guilt'. This book was perfect when looking at guilt as each character experienced such varying levels of different types of guilt. I was actually sympathetic for the gunman in this book. I was shamed in my class for sympathising for him and actually enjoying this book. All John wanted to do was tell people his ideas. He didn't go in with the intention to kill anybody but it happened accidentally and in his guilt, he shot himself because he couldn't live with his choices.

This book is POWERFUL. I flew through it and I honestly am considering buying it for myself to enjoy. I would have given it 5/5 stars but the ending was a let down.

[Cornmaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a pretty intense book, and I could not put it down. It chronicles a fictional young woman struggling with PTSD brought on by a hostage/siege situation when she was 9 years old. The book moves back and forth to relive the siege, revealing (maybe) what really happened, along with revealing how the girl has fared over the years. It also chronicles how each of her parents reacted to the situation (they were not with her), and how that has affected her. Alternates between third and first person.
The library I got this from put it in young adult, but I really think it belongs in adult. Perhaps a Senior HS Psych class could read it while learning Psych 101 and discuss it. But I think you have to be a bit older to think well enough about some of the philosophical questions that are raised. Unless you yourself have been a trauma victim, and then perhaps a younger person would understand it.
At any rate, I loved it - would make a good book club selection, and might start some great conversations about parental influences, parental control, trauma, self-identity, and the reliability/unreliability of memory.

[Gabby Proice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well written but A LOT to take in

[Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one! Set in Australian fast food restaurant it tells the story of a hostage situation. The gunman has a point to make and the young girl who happens to be held hostage in there without her mother ends up sympathising with her tormentor. The story does more than simply recount the hostage crisis - it gives insights into the longer term effects it has on the girl as she grows to adulthood.

[Inaara · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on Stockholm Syndrome. Freda Opperman is unable to move on from the events of her past. At nine years old, she and 10 others are held hostage in a restaurant for two days by an armed gunman. The narrative alternates between past and present day, as Freda struggles to come to terms with the role she played in the deadly situation.

[Supertacoz · Rating 1 out of 5]

The worst book I have ever read I would rather die than read this book a second time. It drags on for the whole book and has a terrible ending. No real interesting plot but might be interesting for someone with no life. If I wasn't forced I wouldn't read this. Why isn't it possible to review less than one star or I definetly would

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book the first time I read it... and the second and third... It is one of my favourite books ever.

[Levi ∆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although the writing itself was quite good, what bothered me about this book was its portrayal of political groups. There are many people who believe that the capitalist system isn't ideal due to its connections to the fossil fuel industry, rates of homelessness, police violence and corruption, etc.. There are also many people who protest against it peacefully. This book, although touching upon the fact that the shooter was mentally ill, portrays communists as violent and as the enemy, whilst portraying the police as the 'good guys'. These kinds of portrayals in YA books can be misleading, and the book didn't have enough political perspectives to give the reader the ability to make their own judgement.

[Felicity · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an unusual plot line and I got through the audiobook quickly. It was good but not great or excellent. I'm not sure what wasn't quite right but I think maybe the author had a great idea and then got a little lost.

My Goodreads star rating... ***

My Goodreads scale:
* waste of time
**filled in time
***good
****excellent
*****absolutely amazing

[Muhhamad Aashir · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would like to say this book was the worst thing I have ever read, and this book gave me and my friends aids straight aids I never want to read another book in my life because of how much time i spent on this book, if i catch this author in real life he will never see his family ever again, all jokes I love fat boys I luv you ian but not your stupid book

[Cattysc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this book pretty interesting! Bit confusing though, and I felt like, I, could never connect to Freda.

[Rebecca Story · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was recommended to me by my bestest friend. It isn't my usual type of read but it was extremely intriguing.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* Written before Lindt cafe siege...yet felt it very post...has left me asking how those survivors are coping.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good not sure how to explain it but it was well writtten.

[Kayleigh maloney · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was ASS

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a bit stunned that this is YA fiction. Very heavy stuff.

[SunshineFeather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written but not interesting enough for me.

[Michala Tyann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: The Song of an Innocent Bystander by Ian Bone
By: Michala T.


The Song of an Innocent Bystander by Ian Bone (2004)
When Freda was nine years old she and her family goes to eat out. Freda is psyched because normally her mother Nancy would never agree to such a place as Family Value. So when her kids meal doesn’t include the sticker she so badly wanted she talks her dad into letting her go back in to get her sticker. With determination, Freda walks straight to the front counter unaware of the man who is standing on top one of the tables holding a gun.
Ten years later, Freda is still haunted by the ghosts of her past, by the unspoken secrets, and suffers under the protective arms of her mother who is hellbent on making sure corporations don’t allow such victimization to continue. The tragedy she endured however is brought back to surface when she begins to receive phone calls. Someone knows about one of her unspoken secrets. And then there is William, a college student who wants to interview her. His styles of interviewing are unlike anyone Freda has ever spoken to and she doesn’t know exactly what to make of him or his questions.
The book is told in a narrative that goes from the present time and into the past. It unfolds tale of the siege, a madman and the little Freda. All the lives of the strangers trapped within the confines of the restaurant who withheld emotions for a lonely little girl because they could only think of their own survival. The story explores how and why a nine year old might form a partnership with the only person who is showing her any kindness and mercy-the gunman and the traumatic, far-reaching effects such a partnership has on the current day lives.

Freda is a confused adult in this book. She struggles to make sense of herself, the people around her, and her past. Freda as a little girl is forever changed. Sometimes the story was a bit confusing but it makes sense because the girl herself is all mixed up, fighting to find her place in the world but is split between the person she wants to be and the person that everyone else wants her to be and the person the gunman taught her to be. I wasn’t able to connect with Freda but I don’t believe this book was about connecting with her. I believe it was about seeing her experience from the past and how she was coming to terms with it in her present.
The story definitely led me to think about things I might not have. I finished the book the very same day of the CT shooting so it sat heavier in my stomach but not in a bad way. It wasn’t a scrumptious tale, but it was tasty in the way it made me look at the futuristic way of the changes in the lives a person, a family, a community endures over such tragedies. Parts we uncomfortable, parts were confusing, especially the near ending.
John (Wayne) O’Grady aka the gunman was a man who I connected with in only the sense that he had been wronged by a confusing system that often times doesn’t think about the little person. He wanted others to hear him and I got that. The writer portrayed him as a weak person who only appeared strong because of the tools before him. The relationship between him and the young Freda was definitely one that was a give and take on both sides. When none of the others treated him the way he felt he should be treated he could turn to young Freda and see in her eyes that what he had to say was important.
Ian Bone wrote a multi-layered story and all the layers had moments of staleness. However, those moments were far and few. The present day Freda was dealing with feeling like she was losing her mind, fighting to be an adult beneath the protective arms of a mother who was scared to let others see just who the real Freda was, and the presence of William, who was fighting against his own demons and trying to get a sense of Freda’s demons in hopes of curing his own issues.
The scene of the siege…I sort of wanted more but the writer could not have given too much more otherwise the plot would be overpowered by the insignificant scenes. He wrote his plots well. I would not say it was crunchy or spicy but it was full of layers.
If you are into books that offer up a view of the human species on a psychological and analytical pallet this one is definitely for you…in so many ways. The myriad of characters all offer juicy examples of just how far one can dissect the mind, behavior, and actions as a result of unforeseeable events.
If you want a book that is light, soft, and fill-good…pass it up. This one is so not for you.
My verdict: 7/10

www.bitemybook.com

[Sam Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok so i got this book for 1 dollar at a book sale and probably wouldnt have read it other wise. But i really enjoyed the story, i mean the writing was a bit to whats the word.......mature would best describe it haha i enjoy young adult fiction and mostly fantasy type things but sometimes the emotions where just described a little too much for me. But the story line was what i read it for. <<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So this was written in the way where one piece of the story was told through a memory and then through a story being told and so on and so forth so you are reading on trying to figure out why she feels the way she does, i mean you were 10 when you were held hostage with no parents stuck with you. How could anything possibly be your fault, and then you go on and figure it all out piece by piece. Now the one thing i thought at the end of the book was after you figure out that she basically told John Wayne o grady to shoot the poor guy. I mean he didnt shoot him, and he didnt mean to kill him, but it happened. She felt like that was her fault and he would have left if she didnt insist on him taking her with him, which is why it all happened. But the thing on my mind after reading the book was this, we are reading this from her point of view so naturally we think she was 10 she had no idea what she was doing and by no means was she held responsible for what happened. But then i thought, imagine if we were reading this from Constantines pov. I mean would we feel how he felt? That she ruined everything? That she was a freak? I Mean I dont feel that way, i dont think that she was to blame, she was 10, Had no parents there, and no one else wanted to take care of her, she listened to the only man that showed her any niceness, he was cruel, but at times he was nice to her in his own weird way. But i just cant help thinking that a writer has the ability to make you believe in a certain side, because most of the time its a one sided story, and as you know, there are always two sides. I dont normally think thi smuch after reading a book, i finish and go ah well that was nice happy ending and all that. But this was somthing that could have actually happened and it just made me think, which is why i liked this book. It was different and sets your mind into motion.

[Ailsa Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book didn't turn out how I thought it would. I thought it was going to be another teenage "woe is me, my life is awful" book that is just crappy and self absorbed. I couldn't have been more wrong.
This creative novel delves into the psychology of an event and analyzes the characteristics of each person. Ok. I just made that sound really boring, but actually, its fascinating.
I'm a teen, but I don't like all that vampire, love, sadness, loss, books that seem to take over the young adult book shelves these days. I was sad because I didn't have a good book to read so I went to the library and found this little gem.
I was gripped from the first page and was all the way through. So much so that I read it in a day. I love the way Ian Bone describes characters in the book from Freda's perspective. From the perspective of someone who has been through the unimaginable.
I felt a loss when I finished the book because I wanted it to keep going and have it never end.
I wanted to stay in the unusual, damaged, interesting mind of Fred Opperman and keep reading her thoughts on the outside world.
This is how I should feel after reading every book, but unfortunately that is not the case.
Good authors make me read their books. Great authors make me want to stay with them forever.

[Roxanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

As i was making my way through this novel i felt that there was so much emotion in it, it was as if all the emotion that each character had was locked in a tiny bottle waiting to be unleashed, that's what it stayed to be; locked emotion, it didn't burst out to me. There was so much going on that at times i strayed from remembering who the main character was, but when i did remember, i never forgot all that she went through, it was as if i was in there, with her in that underground restaurant, watching her and knowing her thoughts.

I'm torn by this book, i wasn't sure what to feel afterwards, maybe because i've never been really good with concluding stories that have such bad history, i felt just a tad awkward and ignorant.

[Magella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the fact that this is technically YA, and I'm 20 already I somehow felt a little too young to be reading this. A lot of the emotions that the characters were experienced were way over my head, adn the general tone set me on edge in a not-so-pleasant way (although this could be because I don't read many thrillers.) While the story was interesting, the characters didn't really let me in (or rather, Freda seemed to be intent on shunting me out.) I think this falls into the read again when I've got more world experience pile.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the approach of the tenth anniversary of the time she was held hostage in a fast food restaurant, nineteen-year-old Freda Opperman struggles to make sense of her memories of the event and how they have shaped her life.

[Hallie · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading all of the ratings, I had pretty high hopes for this book. I really wanted to like it but I found myself turning the page just to be done with it. Only about 20-30 pages towards the end were able to even keep my interest.

[Pamela Morgan]

Ten years ago, 9 year old Freda walked into an underground restaurant, into a hostage situation. It still haunts her. But was she just an innocent victim manipulated by the one stranger who showed her any kindness – the gunman? A gripping thriller.

[jagle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a bit slow and tedious, and the last quarter finally livened up, but it really wasn't a great book. The story does sweep you along with it, and I did want to know what the outcome would be, but I certainly wouldn't read it again.

[Kelci · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was good but also kinda werid and the whole way it was played out.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

audible.com

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great premise, but it never really came together.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible, I would suggest this to everyone. It is a realy great book on what a tramatic event in childhood can do as well as a thought provoking look at the goodness of ones life.